


A Journey to Travel With You

by Sunshine712



Series: A Relationship To Celebrate (AtsuKita Week 2020) [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Memories, Train Rides
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25456303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshine712/pseuds/Sunshine712
Summary: AtsuKita Week: Day 4 - Travelling // On his way back to Hyogo, Atsumu meets someone on the train, and recounts his and Kita’s love story.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu
Series: A Relationship To Celebrate (AtsuKita Week 2020) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838941
Comments: 11
Kudos: 64
Collections: Atsukita Week





	A Journey to Travel With You

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [All Legendary Obstacles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16624463) by [dazedmess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dazedmess/pseuds/dazedmess). 



> Hi all! Another day of AtsuKita Week, and I hope it's a joyful one! This one's another fluffy one, I hope you guys enjoy~
> 
> I came up with the OC's name by putting together a random last name and first name, so it doesn't have any particular meaning!
> 
> Day 4 Prompts: **Travelling** \+ Longing

“Excuse me young man, could you please lend me a hand?” Atsumu looked up from where he had been fiddling in his backpack to see an elderly woman standing in the aisle beside his seat, a small suitcase beside her, “If you would be so kind as to put my luggage up for me, I would be very grateful.”

He smiled and stood up, easily placing the suitcase into the overhead compartment. “Here ya go.”

The old lady smiled, “Thank you.” She looked surprised to see him offering her the aisle seat, shifting his belongings inwards to take the window seat instead, "Why, how kind of you.”

Atsumu laughed softly, “Ah, my partner’s grandmother prefers the aisle seat, says it let’s her get ter the bathroom easier, so I thought maybe ya would appreciate it too.”

“You’ve got a handsome face and a kind heart, young man.” The woman settled into her seat as the interim started calling for final passengers, “I’m Otsuka Eriko.”

“Nice ter meetcha, Otsuka-san, I’m Miya Atsumu.” Atsumu nodded his head as a substitute for the bow he normally would’ve given.

“Ah, Atsumu-kun, your accent is an unfamiliar one.”

“Ah, yes, I’m from Hyogo.”

They paused their conversation as the doors closed and the interim ran through some general housekeeping things. A stewardess walked along the aisle checking that luggage was placed properly in the compartments. As the bullet train exited the station, Atsumu took out his phone.

 **To: My dear Shinsuke**  
_9:15 am: Just left Tokyo station. See ya in a few hours, babe~_

 **From: My dear Shinsuke**  
_9:16 am: Have a safe trip, my love._

The endearing reply from his lover made Atsumu break into a goofy smile, a small flutter in his heart as he pocketed his phone.

“A loved one, Atsumu-kun?” He glanced over to the side to see Otsuka-san observing him, making him blush softly.

“Ah, yea,” Atsumu hesitated a little. “My boyfriend, Shinsuke. I’m headin’ home to see him.”

“A special occasion, perhaps?”

Atsumu chuckled, “No, nothin’ special. Ya see, I’m a professional volleyball player, ‘n’ we don’t see each other all that often ‘cause I have ter train a lot, but I have a week off so I really wanted ter spend it with him.”

There was a soft look in Otsuka’s eyes, “You must love him a lot.” 

“I do. I love him ter the moon ‘n’ back, he’s my everythin’ ‘n’ more.”

“Tell me about him, won’t you, dear? It is a long journey after all.”

Atsumu paused. He wasn’t one to speak openly about his private life, given his career in sports and the media surrounding it, as well as the fact that introducing Kita as his boyfriend was a hit-or-miss sometimes, since same-sex couples were not always accepted. There was a gentle look in Otsuka-san’s eyes though, and she had yet to express any negative emotion towards his or Kita’s gender. Plus, Atsumu’s love for Kita was one that wanted to spill out at all times, unwilling to be hidden behind closed doors.

“Well, I met him back in high school, when we were on the volleyball team together…”

✯ ✯ ✯

_He and Osamu had been messing around after the first day of high school on their way to the gym, bickering about who could finish their homework fastest, who could hit the most service aces. They were so engrossed in sticking their tongues out at each other that they failed to notice the figure standing in front of them, until Atsumu bumped into a back and stopped arguing with his twin._

_“Ah, sorry, my bad.”_

_The figure turned and frowned at them. “Don’t be so loud.” He said, and for some reason the twins felt compelled to listen. Maybe it was because he had the volleyball jacket draped over his shoulders, indicating that he was their senpai on the volleyball team, and also giving him an air of authority._

_They later found out that his name was Kita Shinsuke, and he was a year above them, however he was not on the team’s starting lineup, nor did he own a uniform at all, although his skills in receives and spikes were very on-point._

✯ ✯ ✯

“I always found it weird that Shin only got a uniform when he was in his third year, ‘cause he was by far one of the most diligent people on the team. Every single day, without fail, he’d be the first to arrive for practice, which is a real feat ‘cause ‘Samu ‘n’ I were always early fer practice everyday. He was the one that always made sure things were cleaned ‘n’ packed up properly after practice, ‘n’ he never had trouble balancing his academic things with his extracurricular things.”

The previous hesitancy to speak about his lover was now completely gone; and Atsumu wasn’t very surprised. When it came to Kita, his feelings simply overflowed and came out as gushes of compliments, often driving Osamu and Suna crazy when he called them to talk.

A stewardess moved down the aisle, now pushing a trolley of snacks and drinks from which Otsuka-san bought a bottle of tea and some mochi. She shared them with Atsumu, who gratefully accepted. “Shinsuke-kun sounds like a lovely boy. It must have been his dedication and diligence that earned him his uniform in his final year of high school.”

Munching happily on the mochi, Atsumu nodded in earnest, “Definitely! Shin was nominated as captain too!”

Pouring the tea into two plastic cups, Otsuka took a sip from her own, “And how did the two of you become close?”

“Ah, that would be after Shin became captain…”

✯ ✯ ✯

_Atsumu noticed him and Kita becoming a lot closer once Kita entered his third year and became captain of the volleyball club. It stemmed from Kita’s want to know all his teammates well, meaning he took the time to understand each of their playing styles and habits._

_The captain would go up to each player and talk to them individually. He’d ask about their day, and keep track of their physical and mental health. Atsumu thought he was almost like a mother._

_Their friendship only extended beyond the club when Atsumu came down with a cold once, and Kita sent him home with some tea and healthy foods. The blonde was feeling upset, firstly because he had to miss practice, and secondly because he knew Osamu would come home and taunt him for being sick. And on top of that he had a blocked nose and a headache, so all-in-all he was feeling pretty terrible._

_But then Osamu came home and didn’t tease him. And Atsumu thought maybe he was going to die and Osamu knew it, because what other reason was there that would make his twin shut up? But then Osamu rolled his eyes, snapping a quick “Stop starin’ at me, I don’t wanna have yer ugly face in my direction,” before moving away from the doorway of their shared room so someone else could enter, and that was when Atsumu understood his twin’s behaviour._

_Turns out Kita wasn’t convinced that Atsumu would listen to his orders and actually rest properly, so he’d come by to check up on him. Atsumu smiled despite feeling horrible, because it was such a nice surprise to have someone dote on him the way Kita did; the captain checked his temperature and gave him warm water to take his medicine with, before making sure he was comfortable and tucking his covers snugly around him to let him sleep. Drowsy from the medication, Atsumu only managed to mumble a soft “Yer so nice, Kita-san…” before falling asleep._

✯ ✯ ✯

“After that, it was a downhill battle. I fell fer Shin so easily. Everythin’ he did made my heart feel warm. Sure, he may be strict sometimes, but at the end of the day, ya know he truly cares, ‘n’ that’s what I love most ‘bout him.”

Otsuka-san was nodding in agreement, “I understand you. It’s always the little things that make you fall the hardest. And I’m sure Shinsuke-kun must have liked you too, to do those things for you. Were you the one who confessed, Atsumu-kun?”

Atsumu nodded, “I confessed ter him at his graduation. At that time I thought, _well if he rejects me then at least we don’t hafta be awkward at school every day_. But he surprised me by accepting the confession.” A soft sigh left Atsumu’s lips as he reminisced about that day, “Apparently my face was really red.”

Beside him, Otsuka-san chuckled, “A fond memory, isn’t it?”

“Definitely. That bein’ said, all my memories with Shin are my favourite. I asked him if we could talk after the graduation ceremony. I told him I wanted ter ask advice fer being captain of the volleyball team, but actually I wanted ter tell him about my feelings…”

✯ ✯ ✯

_It was a beautiful Spring day, so perfect for the graduation, and even more perfect for Atsumu’s little plan. Well, to be fair, it wasn’t really a plan, since he had nothing planned out beyond asking Kita to talk to him privately._

_In hindsight, a plan probably would’ve been nice, because as soon as he and Kita were alone on a bench slightly secluded from the rest of the school, Atsumu was reduced to a stuttering mess._

_“Uh.. Ki-Kita-san, I wanted ter know if, um, if ya, um, just maybe…” Atsumu groaned and put his face in his hands, annoyed at his own stuttering. He could speak just fine to everyone else, so why did he have to seem like such a mess in front of Kita?_

_Thankfully Kita was patient, placing a hand on Atsumu’s shoulder as he waited for the younger boy to calm down. “It’s ok Atsumu. Is there something bothering you about becoming captain? Are you worried about the responsibility?”_

_The former captain kept rubbing his shoulder as he waited for Atsumu to breathe normally again and take his face out of his hands. “Actually Kita-san, I didn’t actually wanna talk about the captaincy…” He took a deep breath, desperately hoping that he wouldn’t lose a friend after this, “I actually wanted ter tell ya about my feelings. I really like ya, Kita-san, have fer a good part of the year, ‘n’ I wanted ter know if ya would maybe wanna start a relationship with me...?” His voice lowered in volume towards the end of the sentence, face flushing red._

_The blonde shifted on the bench so that he was facing forwards instead of his crush, nervously wringing his hands. He heard Kita sigh and felt him remove his hand from his shoulder and stand up. He thought maybe that was it, Kita was going to leave and he’d lost a great friend forever._

_But then Kita stood in front of him, and for once Atsumu had the look up to make eye contact with the older boy. “Kita-san?”_

_Behind him, voices full of laughter and calls sounded, probably from other graduates and their families. In the air around him was the sweet scents of the many flowers in bloom. And in front of him, was Kita. Kita who was smiling, and saying “Yes.”_

✯ ✯ ✯

“I was so happy when he said yes.” Atsumu paused his story to stop another stewardess and buy some onigiri. He asked if Otsuka wanted anything, but the woman shook her head.

“You have quite the appetite, Atsumu-kun. It’s not nearly lunchtime yet. Reminds me of my own grandson; he’s always munching away at something or other.”

Atsumu laughed at the little tease, not taking it to heart. “So that’s how our relationship started. Of course, I still had the final year of my high school life ter go through whilst Shin started working on the farms, but he always made sure ter have time fer me. Sometimes he’d drop in ter our volleyball practices ‘n’ give the newbies a few tips, or I’d visit him on the farm some weekends. We had dates at different shrines a lot, ‘cause Shin really likes visiting shrines, even when there isn’t any particular reason ter go. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of the quietness, but Shin likes how peaceful they are, ‘n’ I like how happy he looks whenever we go.”

“The two of you have a wonderful relationship.”

“Oh! Ah, thank you.” Atsumu flushed, not used to having someone compliment his relationship with Kita so straightforwardly.

Otsuka cupped her hands around the bottle of green tea she’d bought before. “It must have been difficult when you had to leave your hometown, I presume?”

At that, Atsumu sighed. “It was very difficult…”

✯ ✯ ✯

_Having their relationship become long distance was not easy. Atsumu realised this early on, when he moved to Tokyo in pursuit of his volleyball career and Kita stayed in Hyogo._

_The first few weeks were probably the worst, when the silence of his apartment kept him awake rather than put him to rest. He was used to having someone with him, whether it was Osamu on the top bunk of their home, or Kita next to him when he slept over at his lover’s house._

_He missed the rowdy family dinners, the pillow fights with his twin, and most importantly, the warmth of Kita._

_Training was often gruelling and difficult, and although Atsumu was used to practising for long hours, professional volleyball was another level. It included so many things outside of just practising volleyball skills—the healthy diets and weight management, the new team members and players, and the publicity surrounding him were all things that Atsumu had to adjust to, and he longed to have his Shinsuke by his side through all the difficulties._

_With the physical distance between them, Atsumu subconsciously put up an emotional barrier too. Whenever he returned to his apartment after a long, tiring day of training, and Kita texted asking about his day, he hid his tire and problems, replying with positive news only. Later he’d realise that Kita wasn’t interested in his pretences, and only wanted to know how he truly felt, but at that time, Atsumu thought he was doing Kita a favour by hiding away his insecurities and issues, not wanting to burden the older with them._

_But of course, Atsumu’s hiding put a toll on their relationship, and it all blew up one time when Kita visited him. They got into a fight, their first real argument since they got together, and Kita left his apartment after having only stayed for three hours._

_And Atsumu, well, Atsumu was scared. Sure he bickered to no end with Osamu, but both siblings knew those were silly banters and nothing truly serious. But now, this fight with Kita, it wasn’t anything like that. This was real, and Atsumu was so, so scared that he’d just lost the man he loved._

_So he was thoroughly surprised when Kita texted him an hour later._

_**From: My dear Shinsuke** _  
_10:39 pm: Atsumu, I’m spending the night in a nearby hotel to clear my head. I’ll need a bit of time to think about our argument and sort out my words, so I won’t contact you for a few days. However, this does not mean I no longer love you. In fact, it is the opposite; I’m doing this because I love you and I want to give us both the chance to calm down before we talk this out. Please don’t blame yourself for any of this, it’s a problem that we need to work through together. I know I said I won’t message you, but if you need anything, call me. I will pick up. Remember: I love you._

✯ ✯ ✯

Atsumu felt his eyes well up as he recounted the story. “I honestly thought that we were over when he left. But then he sent me that text and I was so surprised, because he told me, so bluntly, that he still loved me.”

Otsuka handed him a tissue, which he took to wipe his tears. “Shin taught me a lot about communication that time. He said that I shouldn’t’ve hidden my hardships from him, that he would’ve preferred that I told him about how hard training was and how lonely I was feelin’ rather than hide it all away ‘n’ try to deal with it myself.”

“Shinsuke-kun gave you a lovely example of good communication, didn’t he? By texting you even though he was obviously angry or upset, and telling you his thoughts, and why he left the apartment like that.” Seeing his tears dry, Otsuka-san leaned back in her seat, “My husband and I have been married for over 40 years, and we’ve argued a lot over the years. Big things, small things, there sure were times where we thought it was all over too. But we always made it through, because like Shinsuke-kun, we came to understand the importance of communicating properly and telling each other our most honest thoughts. So it’s good that you and Shinsuke-kun had that argument. Your relationship became stronger afterwards, didn’t it?”

Atsumu smiled at the older woman’s sharing of her story. “Yes, now I know ter call or text Shin when things are gettin’ overwhelmin’, ‘n’ just talk it out with him. Sometimes just the sound of his voice alone makes me feel a lot better.” The blonde paused then grunted softly, “Ter be honest, I can’t even remember what started that argument that time.”

The old woman laughed at that. “And that’s the way it often is. Things that seem like the biggest issue can become the smallest things after a while. Half the time my husband and I start arguing only to pause at some point and realise we don’t even know why we’re arguing anymore. That’s when we smile at each other and he makes us some tea and we sit back down and keep watching TV.”

“Ya and yer husband sound like a nice couple.” Atsumu could see the love in her eyes as she spoke about her husband, and Atsumu wondered if he and Kita would be as loving as Otsuka-san and her partner when they were that old. His thoughts were interrupted by the voice sounding over the speaker system, announcing that the train was approaching their first stop soon.

“Ah, that would be my stop.” As Otsuka started putting away her things and checking her belongings in her handbag, Atsumu quickly stood up to retrieve her suitcase for her, and he found himself a little upset that the old woman was leaving. He had enjoyed speaking to her.

As the train pulled into the station, she gently touched his arm over the armrest. “I’ve lived for quite a while, Atsumu-kun, and witnessed many, many relationships. I recognise a strong relationship when I see one, and yours is one of them. I hope you and Shinsuke-kun are happy with each other. A relationship is often a journey, with its ups and downs, but I wish you two the best, and I truly hope that your journey together is one filled with joy and growth.”

The blonde was a little shaken by her words, and found himself having difficulty coming up with any eloquent words, so he simply said, “Thank you Otsuka-san. I hope you and your husband are happy too.”

He watched her leave the train safely, waving when she looked back from the platform. He saw an elderly man slowly walk up to her, and he saw the way they embraced each other tightly. He didn’t need to see Otsuka-san’s face to know she was smiling widely. _That’s love_ , he thought, _and it’s beautiful_.

✯ ✯ ✯

When the train got to Hyogo, Kita was already there, waiting patiently on the platform. Atsumu threw himself at him, eager to be close to him. “Shin! I missed ya so much!”

Kita caught him in his arms, stepping back a bit to avoid falling over. “I missed you too, my love. How was the train ride?”

Atsumu laughed, “I’ve got a story ter tell about that train ride! But c’mon, let’s go home.” He took Kita’s hand, lacing their fingers together tightly. Otsuka-san was right; a relationship was a journey, and he and Kita were only at the start of it. They still had a long, long way to go, and Atsumu intended to hold Kita’s hand the entire way.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun one to write, so I hope it was good to read as well! 
> 
> Also, does anyone know where the MSBY Black Jackals are located? I've seen some people say Tokyo and some say Osaka, but I tried looking back at the manga and couldn't seem to find a confirmation, so if anyone knows, please let me know!
> 
> IMPORTANT! This plot was written for fictional purposes, please do not talk to strangers so easily IRL!
> 
> Once again, here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/Sun_shine712) if you want to chat!


End file.
